README.rdoc

Getting Started with the AWS SDK for Ruby

The AWS SDK for Ruby helps you to get started building applications using
AWS infrastructure services, including Amazon Simple Storage Service
(Amazon S3), Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon SimpleDB,
and more. This guide shows how you can start building Ruby and Rails
applications on the Amazon Web Services platform with the AWS Ruby gem.

Get Set Up

To get set up, you must sign up for Amazon Web Services, get your AWS
credentials, and set up your environment.

Sign Up for AWS Products

Before you can begin, you must sign up for each AWS product you want to
use. The sample included in the SDK uses Amazon S3, so we'll use that
product as an example here.

Follow the on-screen instructions. If you don't already have an AWS
account, you are prompted to create one as part of the sign-up process.

AWS sends you a confirmation e-mail after the sign-up process is complete.
You can view your current account activity or manage your account at any
time, by going to aws.amazon.com and
clicking the Account tab.

Get Your Credentials

To use the AWS SDK for Ruby, you need your AWS Access Key ID and Secret
Access Key.

To get your AWS Access Key ID and Secret Access Key

Scroll down to Access Credentials and make sure the Access Keys tab
is selected. The AWS Access Key ID appears in the Access Key column.

To view the Secret Access Key, click Show.

Important! Your Secret Access Key is a secret, which only you and
AWS should know. It is important to keep it confidential to protect your
account. Store it securely in a safe place. Never include it in your
requests to AWS, and never e-mail it to anyone. Do not share it outside
your organization, even if an inquiry appears to come from AWS or
Amazon.com. No one who legitimately represents Amazon will ever ask you for
your Secret Access Key.

Set Up Your Environment

The AWS Ruby gem runs on Ruby 1.8.7 and later. If you have an older version
of Ruby, RVM is a great way to get started using the latest version.

Install the SDK

To install the AWS Ruby gem, just enter:

gem install aws-sdk

Run the Samples

Now that you've installed the gem, you can run the samples, which you
can find in our GitHub repository: